Tag! You’re it! (That’s me!) I was tagged by fellow blogger, Michael Gunter, in what is hopefully a fun and personal blog-version of an ultra-cool chain letter.

What is the working title of your next book?To the Far Side of the Sea. My first title was New Life.

Where did the idea come from for the book?
The morning of 9/11, I thought this would be a good day to disappear in all the chaos. Many ideas later, I had most of my story for Tamara. The reader travels with her as she gets away from her abusive husband and starts her new life, with all new problems. The other half of my book God gave me in a dream, which changed the tone and trajectory of the book: Dominic, Tamara’s abusive, alcoholic husband is the main character of a second parallel plotline. And to tell you the truth, I love his character more than Tamara’s!

What genre does your book fall under?
My book is Contemporary Inspirational Fiction with elements of suspense.

What actors would you choose to play the part of your characters in a movie rendition?
What a fun question! I actually wrote my book to read like a movie script with short scenes and lots of action.

To play Tamara? Think young, like Selena Gomez or Demi Lovato.

Dominic? Maybe Michael B. Jordan, of the show Parenthood… or Jamil Walker Smith…

And Daniel? Does anyone know a young John Schneider look alike???

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
On the morning of 9/11, Tamara decides to let her abusive, NYPD husband, Dominic, believe she died in the North Tower and starts a new life in the wilds of Alaska—but she and Dominic can’t outrun God’s redemptive love.

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
I am seeking an agent/publisher. If that fails to work out or takes too long, I will self-publish.

How long did it take you to write the first draft of the manuscript?

A year and a half of Saturdays, with two good writing months of hard work.

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
It’s like Sleeping with the Enemy had a baby with New Year’s Eve that was a cousin to One Tuesday Morning. Honestly, I don’t know any books like mine that are contemporary and inspirational with parallel plot structure and two opposing main characters you end up rooting for…

Who or what inspired you to write this book?
I’ve always wanted to write a novel—I even plotted out a terrible one when I was about 14… But three people come to mind:

My mother in law, Linda. I first pitched the story to her many years ago, and she said I should write it.

Michael Gunter. He was my first writer friend, and I thought, well, if he can figure out how to do this, maybe I can, too.

Julie Valerie. My writing BFF who was like a writing doula, helping coax characters and scenes from my brain to the page.

What else about the book might pique the reader’s interest?
It has elements of suspense, travel, Alaska, NYC, police, addiction/recovery, and 9/11 events… Does any of that sound interesting? Also, there are some unforgettable characters you’ll get to meet along the way…

7 Responses to Blog Tag Q and A

I’ve read this book. ***** yeah, that’s 5 stars. Can hardly wait to see the finished version. Here’s my prediction: After you’ve laughed and cried and thought, “Huh, that could really happen,” you’ll be checking Sara’s website to find out when the next one is coming.

Parker more or less admits he uses drugs – when the new york times asked him if he
uses drugs he replied, i’m a believer in any method of mind expansion whether facilitated by meditation, religious experience or drug use.